Barson joins Crew as latest Homegrown signing

The Columbus Crew tapped into its youth pipeline again on Thursday, signing former University of Akron defender Chad Barson to a Homegrown Player contract.

Barson, 21, completed a four-year run with Akron this winter and won a national championship with the Zips in 2010. He will provide depth at center back behind the likes of veteran Chad Marshall.

"Chad is a strong addition to our team and a player that we’ve had our eye on for some time," Crew technical director Brian Bliss said in a team release. "We’re obviously familiar with his abilities from our youth system, and he enjoyed a successful career at the University of Akron. Chad will make a fine pro and we look forward to his contributions."

For Akron, Barson marks the third player signed to a Homegrown deal this offseason. U.S. Under-20 midfielder Wil Trapp also signed with the Crew, while midfielder Scott Caldwell signed with the New England Revolution. The Zips also lost coach Caleb Porter to the Portland Timbers.

Barson is also the third Homegrown Player signed in the last two days in MLS, joining FC Dallas' London Woodberry and Portland's Steven Evans.

By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona defender Gerard Pique was fined 10,500 euros ($11,740) by a Spanish judge on Tuesday for abusing police after the car he was travelling in was given a parking ticket. Pique wrote an apology to the … More »

The South African sports minister has accused FIFA of being ''very inefficient'' and not acting decisively on match-fixing investigations. In an interview with The Associated Press, Fikile Mbalula criticized the failure of football's governing body … More »

LONDON (Reuters) - Referee Roger East returns to action in the Premier League on Tuesday, a day after the FA ruled he mistakenly dismissed Sunderland defender Wes Brown at Old Trafford on Saturday. East will be the fourth official when Southampton … More »